Without a Promise
by Toordle
Summary: Soon after returning home, Ilia realizes Link and Epona were the only reason she ever enjoyed living there at all. When he returns, and promptly decides to leave, Ilia decides that the only thing for her to do is to follow him, and see where he takes her.


(Ohman, this is my first fanfic in _years_. It's also my first semi-serious story. But I just finished playing Twilight Princess, and the lack of romance between Link and Ilia which I had EXPECTED inspired me to write this. I will love you forever if you read and review it, so you know. Do so. There aren't too many spoilers in this chapter, and the ones that it does contain are rather obvious. Like Link being alive. And Link helping Ilia get her memory back. YEAH, I BET YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING. ...Yeah. I'm done.)

* * *

_Chapter One:_  
**Almost Home**

This was it. I was finally returning home. Finally going back to Ordon Village.

It was relieving, and I was happy that I would finally see my father again. But at the same time, I was a little disappointed that my adventure was over. Even during the time I couldn't remember so much as my own name, being able to see all these different places was extremely exciting for me. I saw Hyrule Castle, the very place the legendary hero was said to have gone to defeat the evil king, with my own two eyes! Truthfully, I had never expected to leave my village before all this happened. My father hadn't left Ordon Village in the longest time, and I think he expected me to stay there my whole life.

I looked at my companions: Colin, Beth, Malo, and Talo, and my heart sank slightly. They were all so young, and I had so little in common with any of them. At least Colin was a sweet kid; the other three were absolute bitches. Especially Beth. I never knew why, but there was something about her that just made me angry.

We all climbed into the carriage and waved goodbye to Kakariko. I would certainly miss it. Not as crazy as the hustle-and-bustle Castle Town, but also a lot more interesting than the tiny village I've always called home.

"I hope you're all ready." Renado, the shaman, smiled at us with a slight sadness. He was a very nice man, and I would truly miss him. Cool hair, too.

Beth, Talo, and Colin all beamed and cried, "Yeah!" Malo just rolled his eyes as usual. Little snot.

Renado looked at me, concern in his eyes. "Are you okay? You seem slightly...apathetic."

"Oh, I just have a lot on my mind. Really, I can't wait to see my father again. And the rest of the village." I replied.

"Okay, Ilia. But if you're ever having any problems, don't hesitate to write me." he got into the driver's seat of the carriage. "Shall we get going, then?"

"Yeah, I'm ready." I smiled at him, and for the first time since I got there, we all left Kakariko Village.

I tried to strike up a conversation with Colin, him being the only half-decent person there and all.

"Are you excited to be seeing your parents again, Colin?"

He grinned slightly, staring at the floor. "Yeah...I've really missed them. I've really missed Ordon Village..."

I raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound too excited."

"Yeah... It's just... It won't be the same without Link."

This time, both my eyebrows shot up, and I felt something of a sharp pain in my chest. "Now, what makes you think Link won't come home? He was busy trying to protect us this whole time. He _cares _about us, and Ordon is his only home, no matter how many other places he's been to."

He grinned and nodded. "You're right. Link _will _come home to us."

But something about what Colin said really got to me. What if Link didn't come home? What would I do then? There wasn't anyone else in Ordon Village even close to my age, there wasn't anyone else I could really talk to, there wasn't anyone else with a beautiful horse like Epona, there wasn't anyone else that could wear a green dress and still look sexier than the Greek gods...

Wait.

Sure, he may be attractive. And sweet. And brave. And downright amazing. But the fact remains that he's just a lifelong friend. Besides that, I already had an arranged marriage my father set up to someone I'd never met...who my father had never even met... And even if that weren't the case, why would Link ever take any interest in me? I was nothing more than a nuisance to him, really...

When we finally arrived at Ordon Village, I was the last one out of the carriage. I said a last goodbye to Renado, and looked around for my father.

The other childrens' parents were all waiting right outside for them to arrive, and they all ran up to their long lost children the moment they saw them.

But my father was nowhere to be seen.

Could he have possibly forgotten that we were coming back today?

I meandered toward my house, feeling slightly lost.

I knocked on the door. No response.

I nearly felt like crying. My father was the only remaining person I cared about in this village, and he wasn't even here? Why would he leave Ordon Village? Maybe he forgot about me and decided to move to somewhere more interesting... Or maybe he found a replacement for my mother... Or maybe...

"Ilia!" I heard my father's voice call.

"Daddy!" I shrieked with joy, and childishly ran into his arms. "Where were you?"

"I'm sorry I wasn't here when you arrived... That incompetent fool, Fado, was in need of some urgent help with his oxen." he smiled widely. "But how ARE YOU, Ilia, my darling? I'm sure you have some **great **stories about the time you've been gone!"

"Yes, daddy, I really do!" I hugged him, and for the first time in a while, felt truly content.

* * *

"You lost your **memory**?!" my father gasped, astonished. 

"Yes...I still can't quite remember how or why...but I did. And that's why I took so long to write you..." I hesitated. "But...Link helped me get it back!"

"Link? You mean that idiot who I sent off with nothing but a couple of shoes so heavy he couldn't even move his feet, and told him they would make him beat the gorons in a sumo wrestling match?"

"...You did WHAT?"

"...It's nice to have you home, honey."

I glared at him. "You're really lucky he's still alive!"

"...He is?"

My heart sank yet again. "You mean...he hasn't come back at all?"

"Haven't seen him since. Don't know about the other villagers, but I ain't seen the boy since I taught him to sumo wrestle..."

"But...this is his home! Even if he is adventuring constantly, he should at least drop in occasionally..." I frowned. Maybe Colin was right. Maybe Link really was never coming back.

"Hey, I'm sure it's nothing to be worried about. If he's alive, he'll come visit you, right? I mean, he's your best friend, isn't he? And I know he's got some kind of compassion for the other kids here, too."

"Visit?" I'd never even considered that he would live in the outside world, just visiting Ordon Village occasionally. "Why can't he just...come back, and stay?"

"Well, he could..." my father hesitated. "But he's different from the rest of us here in Ordon Village. The boy's an adventurer. He's not into staying in the same place all the time like the rest of us."

But, what my father didn't understand, was that I wasn't, either.

"Well, father, it's been really nice catching up, but I want to look around the village a bit. It's been so long since I've been here, and I really just want to see my home again." I faked a smile.

He sighed. "I suppose that's alright. Have fun."

I walked out the door, and felt a nice wisp of fresh air. There was at least one positive thing to say about this town: the air was much nicer than that of Kakariko. It was always so dry there; it was almost like a desert.

I took note of my surroundings. Nothing much had changed. Well, Jaggle wasn't standing on top of that rock calling birds like he always was. There was something to be said for that.

I walked along the dirt road, smiling at everything I saw. I felt my memory returning even stronger than it already had. Maybe being home really was the best thing in the world.

I decided to pay Uli a visit. She was probably pretty close to delivering her baby by now, and it'd be nice to see her again. I knocked on her door, and Colin opened it.

"Oh, hey, Ilia." he smiled shyly at me.

"Hey, Colin. How's your mother doing?"

"Ilia! How are you?" I heard the happiness in Uli's voice as she walked towards the doorway. When she got there, I noticed she was holding a baby.

I gasped. "You already had your baby?!"

She stepped outside and closed the door in Colin's face. "Just two days ago, as a matter of fact." her voice was full of pride.

"Congratulations!" I cried. "Is it a boy or a girl, and what's it's name?"

She cradled her baby, a look of contentment on her face. "Her name's Layla."

I gasped. "It's the perfect name for her!" Then, realization dawned on me. "Hey, Uli...unless you want your daughter to fall in love with someone way older than her, or even worse, an obnoxious brat who wears a bow in his hair and thinks he's better than everyone else...I'd advise you to try to peer pressure the other villagers into having kids, you know..."

She raised an eyebrow. "So, you're saying everyone has to fall in love with someone in their hometown? Who is it that you're in love with, then, eh?" she smirked.

"Uh...yeah, you're right. She could always go visit the castle town or something..." I strolled away, feeling slightly embarrassed.

No...being home really wasn't that great... Reminiscing is nice, but what would I do once I was done with that? I really had no friends in this village. In Kakariko, I could always talk to Renado if I got lonely. I would occasionally talk to his daughter too... Even some of the gorons were close acquaintances. But all there was in Ordon for me was my father, who didn't understand me. Sure, Uli could be nice, but in reality she always seemed rather cold and distant to me. Colin was a nice kid, but he was always hard to talk to. I just needed Link to come home... He was the only real friend I'd ever had...

I stopped and realized I was in front of his house. Without thinking, my feet had automatically brought me there.

I sighed and stared up at the huge tree house...the tree house that contained so many memories...

I then realized I didn't remember a thing about Link's parents.

All my life, I had lived in Ordon. And all my life, Link had lived here too. But even when he was a child, no one had lived in that house besides him.

He never had a mother to teach him the difference between right and wrong, nor a father to show him how to be a man...

But somehow he managed to learn all those things on his own.

I sat on a hill nearby and gazed blankly at the house. My father was right. There really was something different about him...something strange, and mysterious...

* * *

I heard the sound of horses' hooves shuffling through the dirt, and awoke from my daze. A horse? No...it couldn't be... 

A silhouetted figure of a man on a horse started trotting it's way toward me. I stared in shock. Could it be...was it...

** It was!**

I ran as fast as I could over to him, and hugged Epona. It was the best thing in the world, feeling her soft, warm hair. Her soft, warm...

_ White _hair?

I slowly lifted my chin, staring at the figure above me.

"Er...'ello, girl. I see ya took a likin' to my horse, 'ere." said a tall, red-haired man wearing a party hat and a backpack with a roll of wrapping paper sticking out of the end.

I just stared in shock. "I thought..."

He chuckled. "Nevah mind what ya thought... Would yeh like to hold on to 'er while I take care of some business with a..." he pulled out a business card. "Malo? Golly, doesn't anyone in this world have a bleedin' last name?"

I cringed. "Sure..."

"Thank yeh, girl." he gave me the reins, dismounted, and headed off in the direction of the windmill.

Well, at least I had a horse to pet and coo for a few minutes...even if it wasn't exactly the same as Epona...

* * *

I waited for hours, and the man never came back. I started to wonder what kind of business he had with that kid, and headed towards Malo's house. 

When I got there, Beth was peeking through the window, giggling.

I sighed. "Beth, what the hell are you doing?"

She glared at me. "What business do you have with that attractive merchant Malo is talking to? My mom says you're absolutely _crazy_ about Link."

I blushed. "Er...You're the one that always used to follow him around and get all excited about his fighting skills..."

"Yeah, before he started wearing green dresses."

"Oh." I decided not to say anything else on the matter. "See, that guy asked me to hold his horse... which is why I am, as you can note, holding a horse. But he's been gone for like, forever, and I was wondering when he'd be so kind as to take the horse off my hands..."

"Oh yeah, him and Malo were laughing about how he found a horse wandering around on his way here, and he decided he'd give it to the first person he saw, and act like he was going to take it back. ...And then he left it in the hands of some poor, unexpecting girl..." she smirked, expecting me to become outraged.

"Oh, really? Cool! I get my own horse!" I hopped on the horse's back and rode her toward Ordon Spring.

I looked back and grinned at the anger in Beth's face. It was always fun to annoy her.

When I arrived at Ordon Spring, I dismounted, and pet the horse. "I know my father would never let me keep you, so you're going to have to be a secret..." I knew that, in reality, I would soon have to give her away. Probably to Fado or someone. "Maybe I can teach you a song, like Link did for Epona. A way to keep us together, whenever we need each other..." I picked up a piece of grass on the ground and stared at it. Maybe...

I had practiced that song so many times before... I never knew why, but I always felt I would eventually need it for one reason or another...

I knew that strange piece of grass better than most anyone, having made a brass copy of it for Link. I put the end of it in my mouth and blew with just the right amount of pressure; then again immediately following the first breath, with slightly less pressure; then once more, with even less...

In the distance I could hear the clomping of hooves. Hooves I knew only too well...

* * *

(Thaank you very much for reading. Know what you should do now? Revieew. C'mon, it'll make me feel better about myself. And I highly welcome constructive criticism. I realize I'm not the greatest writer in the world, and I use too much dialogue and too little imagery. So suggestions are extremely valuable to me, as long as you're not just like omG ur stori suxxXx!11. Alright. I'm out.) 


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